Growing use of wireless devices has increased the need to measure and collect information in order to improve performance and service provided to a user. For example, measuring network information (e.g., blocked calls, voice quality, dropped calls and network coverage) as well as device information (e.g., performance of a wireless device) enables the manufacturer of a wireless device as well as a network provider to improve the quality of their product by remedying the shortcomings of their product and their services.
Moreover, collecting wireless device usage information allows providers to tailor their product and services based on a usage by a given user. For example, collecting information such as the number of minutes a wireless device is used enables the provider to offer a more comprehensive plan for a given user, based on the user's particular need.
Conventionally, data gathering software that collects information is installed on a mobile station modem, microbrowser applications or on the operating system. Unfortunately, the conventional method fails to provide a non-intrusive method for collecting wireless information. For example, since data gathering software is installed as a user application or as a pre-loaded application (e.g., on the modem, on the microbrowser application or on the operating system), it causes a slowdown in the wireless device. The slowdown occurs because of additional communication and more stringent constraint to comply with lower layer components (e.g., operating system, firmware, etc.).
Moreover, data gathering software installed as a user application, is larger in size in comparison to software installed on components at a layer closer to the hardware component. In general software installed as a user application or pre-loaded application is larger in size because it contains extraneous components to allow the software to be compatible with other software/hardware components (e.g., operating system, hardware component, firmware) residing at a lower layer closer to the hardware component layer. Accordingly, installing the data gathering software on a wireless device further limits the amount of available memory in a wireless device despite its limited memory space due to physical constraints of a wireless device.
Furthermore, software installed/downloaded by a user or pre-loaded by the manufacturer is prone to errors because the software is typically not tested thoroughly with various components at each stage of manufacturing process (e.g., the chip, the operating system, and firmware). Additionally, when a user installs software or when software is pre-loaded, it can usually be accessed by a third party. Therefore, the information measured and collected by the software is usually not secure. As such, private information about a user may be intercepted and pirated by a third party, creating concerns about identity theft and abuse.